1. What has happened in the park?
| A．Some flowers are dying because of the dry weather. |
| B．Lots of flowers are opening up. |
| C．Some flowers have been planted in the park. |
| A．It is the hottest place in the world. |
| B．It is the driest place in the world. |
| C．It is the smallest park in the world. |
| A．In 2005 and 1998. | B．In 2004 and 1998. | C．In 2000 and 2005. |
2 . With so many different kinds of plants out there, telling them apart can seem like an impossible task. But you don’t have to have a degree in botany to start putting names to the plants you come across. Learning to recognize various species begins with studying the plants’ unique physical features carefully and recording what you see.
Study the plant’s features carefully. Whenever you come across a species you’ve never seen before, stop and take note. Look over each of the individual parts, like the stems (茎，梗), leaves, and flowers.
Use viewing aids to take a closer look. A magnifying glass will allow you to zoom in and analyze a plant’s features in more vivid detail. Similarly, you may require a pair of binoculars or a telescopic lens when you want to inspect a particular specimen (样本) from a distance.
Write down the plant’s key features.
Ask an expert to take advantage of their firsthand experience. Show your notes and any photos you’ve taken to a botanist, gardening specialist, or respected outdoorsman and see if they can help you discover the identity of a certain plant.
| A．Observe the plant carefully at first. |
| B．Take your environment into consideration. |
| C．Record each characteristic in your own words. |
| D．Judge the age and shape of the plants you have found. |
| E．Without these tools, you’ll be stuck doing a lot of guesswork. |
| F．You’ll have an opportunity to absorb a little of what they know. |
| G．Most plants can be grouped and distinguished by these structures. |
3 . Covered in lush fur, the thickest in the animal kingdom, sea otters (海獭) can live their entire lives in the ocean, feeding heavily upon seafloor animals such as shellfish. They are often seen to eat clams(蛤), which bury themselves in meadows of eelgrass (大叶藻场), a wide-ranging plant species growing in water. Eelgrass meadows where sea otters dig for clams become partly bare, which is commonly a concern for ecologists.
As it turns out, the meadows with otters are healthier, with more eelgrass, according to a new study published in Science. That's because by gently disturbing the seabed, the otters make the plants flower and produce seeds. What's more, their digging provides more space and sunlight for seeds to settle and grow. The enhanced genetic diversity caused by sea otters could make eelgrass more adaptable to present and future threats.
The finding is a powerful example of how animals such as otters influence their ecosystems beyond predation (捕食), often in unseen and little-known ways, says study leader Erin Foster, a research associate at the Hakai Institute. It also means sea otters, an endangered species, are vital to their environments and give eelgrass, which is in danger worldwide, a better chance at staying healthy and surviving.
Seagrass habitats are also important for many fish, providing food for animals, absorbing, and filtering harmful pollution and bacteria from the water. "Genetic diversity typically strengthens the adaptability of species, and considering the challenges we're facing…this will be important for eelgrass meadows, and from this aspect, the impact the otters are having deserves our lasting concern," says Foster.
1. What do we know about sea otters?| A．They live part of their lives underwater. | B．They mainly feed on sea animals like fish. |
| C．They eat clams beneath eelgrass meadows. | D．They become a new concern for ecologists. |
| A．By giving opinions. | B．By presenting reasons. |
| C．By clarifying concepts. | D．By comparing results. |
| A．To provide examples of sea otters' predation. |
| B．To show the urgency to protect the environment. |
| C．To highlight the role of otters in their ecosystems. |
| D．To warn against the potential risk of climate change. |
| A．Overestimated. | B．Noteworthy. | C．Temporary. | D．Unpredictable. |
4 . About 17 years ago, I became allergic to Delhi's air. My doctors told me that my lung function had gone down to 70 percent. My doctor told me that there were three plants, with which I could grow all the fresh air indoors to keep me healthy.
The three plants are Areca palm, Mother-in-law's Tongue and money plant. Areca palm is a plant which removes CO2 and turns it into oxygen. We need four shoulder-high plants every person. The second plant is Mother-in-law's Tongue. It is called a bedroom plant because it turns CO, into oxygen at night. And we need six to eight waist-high plants every person. The third plant is money plant, and it preferably grows in hydroponics. This particular plant removes some harmful chemicals.
My team and I have tried these plants at our own building in Delhi, which is a 50,000-square-feet, 20-yearold building. And it has close to 1,200 such plants for 300 families. Our studies have found that there is a 42 percent probability of one's blood oxygen going up by one percent if one stays indoors in this building for 10 hours. Our experience also points to an amazing reduction in energy requirements in the building by an outstanding 15 percent. The government has published a study to show that this is the healthiest building in Delhi. And the study has also shown that, compared to other buildings, there is a reduced incidence of headaches by 24 percent.
In my opinion, these studies above are also important for the environment because the world’s energy requirements are expected to grow by 30 percent in the next decade. 40 percent of the world's energy is taken up by buildings currently, and 60 percent of the world's population will be living in buildings in cities with a population of over one million in the next 15 years. And there is a growing preference for living and working in air-conditioned places.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To show the results of growing plants. | B．To give the reason for the author's studies. |
| C．To introduce the author's life. | D．To praise the author's doctor. |
| A．CO2. | B．Oxygen. | C．Money plant. | D．Mother-in-law's Tongue. |
| A．The building with the three plants is the healthiest in Delhi |
| B．The possibility of headaches reduces by 40 percent. |
| C．The energy requirements in the building drop by 42 percent. |
| D．People can stay in the building for only 10 hours. |
| A．Complex. | B．Boring. | C．Meaningful. | D．Useless. |
5 . As spring advances across the Midwest, a new study looking at blooming (盛开的) flowers suggests non-native plants might live longer than native plants due to climate change.
The study — led by researchers at Indiana University and Michigan State University — has shown warming temperatures affect native and non-native flowering plants differently, which could change the look of local landscapes (风景) over time. “When a plant flowers determines whether it will be pollinated (授粉) by bees or other insects and how much time it will have to produce seeds. Our data makes me worry that we will have a very weedy (杂草丛生的) world in our future.” said the study’s lead author Jen Lau, an associate professor in Indiana University.
The researchers’ findings suggest non-native plants may be better at shifting their flowering time compared to native plants. These differences are thought to influence a plant’s success both now and in future warmer environments.
Lau and her students simulated (模拟) global warming in fields planted with 45 native and non-native plants. Some areas were warmed by infrared (红外线的) heaters, while other areas were not. Lau’s lab surveyed all plants to determine when they first flowered and how long they flowered.
When plants were grown in warmed plots simulating the climate change expected in the Midwest by the end of the century, the researchers found that non-native plants flowered more than 11 days earlier on average. In contrast, native plants didn’t change flowering times at all when warmed.
They also found earlier-flowering non-native plants had greater geographic spread, suggesting that flowering earlier may help promote successful occupation across large areas.
The findings suggest important differences in how native and non-native plants respond to climate change.
1. What does the new study find about native plants compared with non-native?| A．They have a longer life cycle. |
| B．They are likely to have more flowers. |
| C．They are more adaptable to climate change. |
| D．They may be at greater risk from climate change. |
| A．She’s quite sure that a weedy world is waiting for us. |
| B．Plants may lose the ability to flower in the future. |
| C．The timing of a plant’s flowering is key to its life cycle. |
| D．A plant’s flowering time almost has no effect on its pollination. |
| A．Changing. | B．Postponing. |
| C．Arranging. | D．Predicting. |
| A．How global warming affected plant species |
| B．How the researchers tested their supposition. |
| C．How to keep the warmth of the planted fields. |
| D．How to determine the flowering times of plants. |
6 . Gardens come in all shapes and sizes.
One of the most important things to remember when planning a garden is to grow what you love. This way, you’ll be sure to enjoy the process. You can grow vegetables. If you don’t like vegetables, try fruits or flowers. You can grow a garden to feed yourself, your neighbors, and a family that’s going through a hard time.
Once you decide what type of garden you’d like to start, you’ll need to plan a few things before getting to work.
After you have the correct soil, choose your plants. Will you start with seeds or young plants? Growing from seeds is often less expensive. And it’s more satisfying, because you have a chance to watch the growth from seed to plant.
| A．Now you’re ready to plant your garden. |
| B．Starting a new one might seem challenging. |
| C．But growing from young plants is easier. |
| D．First, work out where your garden will lie. |
| E．You’ll be able to plant season after season and try to grow new things. |
| F．It will help you explore and understand the whole progress of these plants. |
| G．There are many different things you can grow and many different reasons to grow. |
7 . Students at Beijing’ s Yucai High School have to be very careful when playing football on the school’ s field. That’ s because there is a 100- year-old tree growing in the middle of it. And keeping their eye on the ball too much can result in a painful collision.
Building a football field around a tree sounds pretty stupid. But the school had no choice. It’ s reported that there are historic buildings all around Yucai High School, and this was the only space that could be used for a football field. Before starting working on the field, the school did ask to have the tree moved and planted somewhere else. However, they were told that it was hundreds of years old, and that it was a national treasure.
Having it moved and planted somewhere else was too risky—they might damage or kill the tree. So they were 1eft with no choice but to build the field around it.
Interestingly, Yucai High School is built on the grounds of Beijing’s Royal Gardens of the Ming and Qing dynasties. A reporter for the Beijing News believes that the strangely- located tree is the oldest tree in the Chinese capital. That information has not been checked, but other people think the tree is only 100 years old.
Playing a serious game of football on this field cannot be very pleasant. The tree could“catch” the ball and change its direction from time to time. But the students have no choice but to train on the playground with the tree. Luckily, they can play on a different field in competitions with other schools.
1. If students play football on the school field,________.| A．they might run into a tree | B．they will have a good chance of winning |
| C．they will fall down more often | D．they can control the ball all the time |
| A．Because the tree was as old as the school. |
| B．Because the school could only use that place. |
| C．Because students in the school liked the tree. |
| D．Because the tree had something to do with the city’s history. |
| A．Because there was no other place for the tree. |
| B．Because it may have been dangerous for the tree and it might have died. |
| C．Because the tree was too big to be moved. |
| D．Because it was more meaningful to keep the tree where it was. |
| A．It’s the oldest tree in the Chinese capital. |
| B．It was planted in Ming Dynasty. |
| C．Some believe it is only one-hundred years old. |
| D．Students will play on another field to protect it. |
